Clubs that fought for the Brazilian champion cup until the last rounds last year, Palmeiras and Botafogo faced each other in the first round of the 2025 Brazilian Championship on Sunday (30) at Allianz Parque, in São Paulo.
In a busy and good chance, which featured a demonstration of the players against racism before the match, the last two champions of the tournament were in a goalless draw. Still injured by the vice of Paulista, the Palmeirense fans vained the team in the referee’s final whistle.
After a truncated start, the pace of the match accelerated from half the initial step. The first big chance came from the left side of Botafogo, with Vitinho’s cross to the center forward Igor Jesus, who kicked over Weverton.
Palmeiras tried to respond with individual Stephen plays on the right and attempts to cross the opposite side. The advance of the alviverde team generated some counterattack opportunities for the Rio club at the end of the first half.
After the break, Botafogo continued to bet on quick transitions, which culminated in two good attempts by striker Savarino. In the first, he was cut by defender Micael, while in the next play the ball, who stood with the goalkeeper Palmeirense.
In the best chance of Palmeiras so far, after 29 minutes, Vitor Roque climbed alone in the area and headed out.
The home team still had the clearest opportunity of the match with Flaco López, who had entered the place of Roque: cleared the play, was in the face of the goal and stopped in defense of John, with Coxa. Following the play, the archer still defended an attempt to cross-back-back Piquerez.
It was the reunion of Palmeiras with his fans after being with the deputy in Paulista, won by rival Corinthians in a goalless draw in Itaquera, last Thursday (27), entitled to a penalty lost by Raphael Veiga. The alvinegro team had the advantage of a goal for won the first game at Allianz 1-0.
“We had the ball of the game at the end to win, but it has a lot to do, it’s a big change in the cast, players coming,” Weverton said on Sunday. The goalkeeper also stated that now the team’s focus is on the debut at Libertadores, next Thursday (3), against Sporting Cristal, Peru.
Without official games for over a month due to early elimination in the first phase of Carioca, Botafogo also came from a runner-up. By the South American Recopa (title played by the champions of Libertadores and South American), it was defeated by Racing (ARG) in both games by 2-0.
Announced on February 27 as a new coach, the Portuguese Renato Paiva had led the alvinegro team only once before the Brazilian debut: against Novorizontino, in a friendly match played last Sunday (22), which ended 3 to 1 for the cariocas.
